Chapter 1241:
A swift smack from Lydia’s hand brought Lance back to earth. “Feel that?”
He pressed his hand to his cheek, staring in disbelief. “That definitely hurts.”
“Still think this is just a dream?” Lydia asked, eyebrow raised.
A fierce shake of the head left no doubt. “Not anymore! This is real. Boss, you’re really standing here!”
The look of shock plastered across his face sent Lydia into fits of laughter.
Even Elena found herself grinning. For all Lance’s goofy charm, his loyalty ran deep. Throughout everything, he had stayed by her side, refusing to back down even if it meant defying Torin. After Lydia’s sudden disappearance, he had pestered her for any clue as to Lydia’s whereabouts.
Lance’s hands dove into his pockets as he suddenly remembered something.
Out came his phone. “I have to let Avo know. This is insane!”
A voice echoed from behind them. “I already know.”
Spinning around, Elena caught sight of Alleyne at the top of the staircase, chest rising and falling, evidence that he’d sprinted the entire way.
A whoop erupted from Lance. “Dude, get over here! You won’t believe it—Boss is really here, alive and kicking!”
Lydia’s hand landed sharply on the back of his head. “Don’t jinx it, idiot. I’m alive and well, so quit talking like I’m a ghost.”
Unbothered, Lance just gave his head a little rub and grinned on.
Alleyne, for his part, calmly slipped his pistol back into its holster, took a slow breath, and strolled over. “Boss.” His greeting to Lydia was quiet, but steady.
A grin stretched across Lydia’s face as she extended her hand. “So this is what Avo looks like in the flesh.”
Alleyne accepted her handshake and grinned right back. “Honestly, you look nothing like what I pictured.”
He had always assumed the founder of the Pantheon would be older, maybe even intimidating—not a young woman with a gentle look about her.
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A flicker of challenge sparked in Lydia’s eyes. “Appearances are deceiving. I pack a punch, believe me.”
A peal of laughter escaped from Elena. “Lethal, if I remember right.”
Nobody could forget Lydia’s reputation. Once, she had been Shadow’s top assassin. Her attacks rarely missed, and when she meant business, her targets rarely survived.
A secretive glance passed between Lydia and Elena, both smiling at memories they didn’t need to say aloud.
The mood turned celebratory when Lance piped up, “We can’t just stand here!”
Alleyne, rolling his eyes, gave a stern reminder. “You, of all people, need to stay away from the booze.”
Ignoring his warning, Lance led the way to a quiet bar down the street, acting as if he had never been a lightweight.
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.
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